


Coming Home

by kiranosaurusrex



Category: Messiah Project - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 10:44:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7571185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiranosaurusrex/pseuds/kiranosaurusrex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aftermath of Dou no Shou. Shuusuke visits Souma in the hospital wing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

Shuusuke looked up when he heard voices. People were whispering at the library but they weren’t doing a good job at actually hiding what they were saying. The talk of town at the Church was about the latest mission the ‘Elite 4’ had returned from. And how it had left Souma and Eiri in the hospital wing, with the latter being treated for multiple gunshot wounds and the other for injuries sustained during capture as well as severe dehydration.

More people were talking about Eiri and Haku, though. Shuusuke couldn’t blame them. Surviving multiple direct gunshots wasn’t an easy feat. Admittedly, even Shuusuke had doubted Eiri’s words and promise for a few moments when he had checked on the other SAKURA cadet’s condition during the confrontation with Higayama.

There were voices whispering about how Haku seemed to be out of it, about how he wasn’t as ‘perfect’ as he usually was - something Shuusuke wanted to point out was a state that had never existed in the first place. Nobody was perfect. They were all just human after all. And then there were voices whispering about how Shuusuke seemed to be an emotionless prick, who was following his daily routines as if nothing had happened, as if his Messiah wasn’t also confined to the hospital wing right now.

Those voices couldn’t be more wrong. Just because Shuusuke wasn’t showing his internal turmoil openly didn’t mean that there was none. Quite the contrary.

Of course the hospital wing had rules, just like a normal hospital. There were limited visiting hours, although Messiah did get special permission for extended times. Shuusuke spent all the time he possibly could by Souma’s side, whether the other was awake or asleep.

Today he found Souma asleep - probably due to some sedatives the doctors had given his Messiah. Souma could be a terrible patient, insisting that he was fine when he clearly wasn’t. Although Shuusuke figured that he should take it as a good sign. If his Messiah was well enough to complain and move around too much, it meant that Souma was getting better.

Shuusuke took off his SAKURA uniform coat and placed it over one of the other chairs. He was wearing his usual black attire underneath - a dress shirt over a t-shirt and jeans. Simple, comfortable and yet very neat. His clothes were all in place, where they were supposed to be. As for his Messiah, though...

Souma’s usual headband was missing, which meant that his hair was falling into his face freely. Admittedly, Shuusuke quite liked it. Then again, he did have a fondness for Souma’s soft hair, had developed it unbeknownst to himself. Well, he had developed quite a fondness - to say the least - for his Messiah before he’d realized it. All of his Messiah.

The scrubs Souma was wearing had slipped - Shuusuke bet that they’d been tied together sloppily by the other, knowing his Messiah’s need for freedom of movement. It gave him a rather good view of Souma’s healing injuries.

Reaching up, Shuusuke’s fingers traced the scars and bruises that were visible, on Souma’s face, his collarbones, his arms. He could feel corresponding parts of his own body ache as he did. It would be blasphemic to say that he hurt as much as Souma but it wasn’t a lie that he felt some of the pain the other was being put through, had been put through. They had sworn to share everything with each other after all, sadness and joy, pleasure and pain, life and death.

The pain Shuusuke was feeling was on a more emotional level than Souma’s. Every single injury was a reminder to Shuusuke that he had been unable to stop it from being inflicted.

When he reached Souma’s chest, felt the other’s heartbeat under his fingers, some of the tension eased from his body. This heartbeat was the proof that Shuusuke hadn’t failed. That he had brought Souma back alive.

In true Messiah fashion, Souma had become his life, his soul, his everything. Someone he could absolutely not afford to lose. Ever.

A hand clasping his jerked him out of his thoughts and he looked up to find Souma awake, to find the other’s warm brown eyes looking at him. They still looked a little bit hazy from a drug induced sleep but were clearing up quickly.

“Fondling a sleeping, injured man? I am discovering a new side to you, Shuusuke.”

“I’d hardly call that fondling.” Shuusuke huffed and watched as Souma sat up on the bed. “And I will judge you if you got turned on by something like that.”

“Judge me, huh? Funny how you mention that.” Souma chuckled and then grabbed Shuusuke and pulled him into his arms, burying his face in Shuusuke’s shirt. “I just had a dream.”

Turning his head slightly to look at the top of Souma’s head, Shuusuke asked, “About what?”

“About what would have happened if we hadn’t met like this but if we had met out there.” Souma looked up at Shuusuke through his bangs. “I dreamed about you coming into the police’s investigation room instead of Ichijima, ready to defend my case. You were rather passionate and insistent about it.” He smiled. “Would have loved to have seen you in action. In court.”

“I would have done everything in my power to defend you.” Shuusuke didn’t think twice about his words. “I wish I had gotten that opportunity.”

The unspoken words between them were their wishes for a normal life. For a life that wouldn’t have brought them to this very place. A life that hadn’t made them members of SAKURA. But neither of them dwelled on that for too long. It was no use to think about the past, of what could have been because it was too late for that now. They could only look ahead, never back.

“Did you take off your coat for me?” Souma had noticed the item of clothing on the chair close to the bed. “Or are you actually picking up some of my habits?”

“A little bit of both, maybe?” Shuusuke relaxed more into Souma’s embrace. “You don’t seem to think that it’s a bad thing. So I guess I am not going to stop it.”

“Yup. I actually think it’s a really good thing.” Souma pulled Shuusuke down so that they were lying on the hospital bed together. It wasn’t narrower than their own beds in their room, so their bodies quickly found comfortable positions. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m not injured or anything? What do you mean?” Shuusuke turned his head slightly to look at Souma. “I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“That’s not really true, though, is it?” Souma looked back at the other. “You’re taking care of Haku, aren’t you? In your own way. While Eiri is still hospitalized. And you’ve been coming to see me every day, for as long as they’re letting you stay in here. All other hours - minus the ones where you are hopefully sleeping and getting some rest - you’re probably trying to distract yourself by doing something. Reading, studying, practicing.”

It was the undeniable truth. Shuusuke sighed softly. Souma knew of course. Souma could see, could tell. “When will you get out of here?” He asked softly.

“If it were up to me, right now but I think the doctor said something like a day or two from now if I behave. Whatever that means.” Souma huffed. Then his voice softened. “I’ll be back by your side as soon as possible.”

“I guess you should better behave then.” Shuusuke mused and then let his eyes drift shut as he sighed softly and got comfortable against the other. Shuusuke hated to admit it but his bed felt way too empty without Souma. Their room felt infinitely large, too big for him alone. He hated the feeling of loneliness but at the same time he also hated the feeling of dependence.

This hadn’t happened before. With Sakai it had been different. With Sakai he’d had less of a physical bond. And even though it was hard to admit, less of a spiritual bond as well.

Here in Souma’s arms, he felt so at ease. This was the most comfortable and also the safest place on earth. This was where Shuusuke always wanted to be. And if he ever couldn’t be here, it would be the place he most wanted to return to. This was home.

Shuusuke jerked awake when he heard sounds from somewhere outside the room. It sounded like dinner was being distributed at the hospital wing. Had he fallen asleep? 

A look at his watch confirmed his suspicion. Four hours had passed in a flash. Shuusuke felt well rested though. He’d slept better than he had in days. He’d slept deeper than usual as well. Something that would be considered as careless in his line of work. This had never happened before but Shuusuke realized that he’d found himself letting his guard down around Souma more and more often. It wasn’t because of carelessness though. It was because he trusted Souma. And surely enough, he found the other awake when he turned around.

“Looks like you had a good sleep. I’ll really need to get my ass out of here as soon as possible. You suck at taking care of yourself.” Souma smiled and sat up.

“You better.” Shuusuke got up and went to put his coat back on as well. He turned around to look at Souma one last time. “Come home soon.”


End file.
